The Canadian federal government is seeking new legal powers to cancel large volumes of visa applications simultaneously — a move partly driven by concerns over alleged visa fraud originating from India and Bangladesh, according to internal government documents obtained by CBC News.

A departmental presentation sent to the Immigration Minister’s office reveals that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and a group of unnamed U.S. partners have formed a task force aimed at identifying and rejecting fraudulent visitor visa applications.

The documents describe India and Bangladesh as “country-specific challenges” and propose a new “mass visa cancellation authority” that could be used in situations such as pandemics, wars, or issues tied to specific countries.

Publicly, Immigration Minister Lena Diab has stated that the proposed powers are intended for emergency scenarios like health crises or armed conflict. However, the internal documents suggest the government has broader goals — particularly targeting regional visa fraud.

This proposed authority is part of Bill C-12, which falls under a wider border management reform initiative. Originally introduced as Bill C-2, it was later split into two parts, with the visa cancellation provisions moved to C-12.

More than 300 civil society organizations have already expressed concern over the bill, warning that it could lead to arbitrary visa cancellations and even mass deportations. Advocacy groups like the Migrant Rights Network are calling for greater transparency and accountability in the process.

Some immigration lawyers speculate that the government may be seeking these powers as a way to reduce the growing backlog of visa and immigration applications.